Attractions, Storytelling, History and Free College Tuition in Yellow Springs, Ohio

One of the most picturesque locations in Ohio, Yellow Springs and points south and southwest toward Indiana and Kentucky were originally settled by Native Americans whose descendants are attempting to purchase back their formerly-owned properties in the 2010s. They have purchased back lands near Xenia, Ohio and a few other sites already and have begun successful businesses in the area that boost the economy and help build the community.

The United Remnant Band of the Shawnee in this region of Ohio is quite active in fine arts and professional storytelling, among other vocations. In fact, one of their number and his son operate a vivid living history ranch today near Oxford OH, just to the southwest of Yellow Springs. Dad, Fred Ross, has been a preacher as well and was able to put his two speaking talents of church and Indigenous culture together -- I have marveled at his storytelling, traditional storyteller facial paint (click for photo and story of the face paint) and traditional clothing at the Ohio State Fair and on film. People of all ages have gathered to sit and listen to him and at story's end, do not want to leave. The Rosses entertain and educate families, congregations, and school groups regularly at their facilities.

Such is only one of the features and traditions of Yellow Springs, Ohio and the surrounding countryside.

Yellow Springs became an art-filled community early on as visitors traveled here to benefit from the springs that contain sulfur and other elements considered healing. People read, wrote, painted, and played music while they attended their health. The community is still focused on fine arts and music, progressive education that will lead to solid jobs, and wellness events and activities.

Downtown Yellow Springs is a colorful expanse of artistic shops with merchandise displayed on sidewalks as well as inside on Xenia Avenue. Boutiques, pottery shops, cafes, herbalists, theaters, fine arts emporiums and many more extend for several blocks to the center of town to a type of Town Square Park where an OSU tent is usually set up during football season for souvenir sales and does a good business. Public art projects include the interesting benches for seating all long the main street and down through the road to Antioch College. However, needle artists have taken to creating covers for telephone poles and lamp posts. Simply put, there is art everywhere in Yellow Springs.

Clifton Mill near Clifton Gorge east of Yellow Springs is a working grain mill that provides tours by living history staff in costume. The mill houses also contain a store in which visitors may purchases the Clifton Mill flours that we see in some local supermarkets. Clifton Gorge is a scenic spot that unfortunately once housed a lone caged bear for spectators.

Many options for lodging in Yellow Springs give guests the choice of small motels, B & B's and other picturesque places, including Jailhouse Suites that are located in a former Village Jail.

The Springs Motel is all solar powered! This is a great place for low prices and clean rooms with amenities like free WIFI, free breakfast, and free long distance phone calls.

Young's Jersey Dairy is just two miles northeast of Yellow Springs as well, with family events, two restaurants, a homemade bakery store and more.

Founded in 1852, the college is on Corry Street, which is the boundary of Glen Helen Nature Preserve. I find it easy to find parking and enjoy any of several paved walking paths through the preserve. It is a pleasure for students to attend classes so near the preserve, where they can take a break in the world of nature and use the setting for images for photography and other arts classes. Antioch is the only US liberal arts school as of 2012 that requires a co-op work experience as part of its curricula and graduation elements. The school is determined to educate individuals for employment as well as liberal arts.

Back in the 1980s, an associate attended Antioch and loved the sorts of classes offered and the pass/no-pass grading system for all her classes. Antioch opened in 1854 and continued to train students to 2008, when they lost too much funding and closed. They have reopened since 2011 and are offering free tuition for a total of thee years of education at the school. This was done under Governor Ted Strickland in the 2000s for the University of Toledo and we expect it to be successful at Antioch as well.

Antioch College is located within the Ohio Space Corridor, which contains other education and training opportunities that Antioch students may wish to attend in the future. Antioch leadership wants to boost its enrollment and become more visible by 2015, with plans to expand curricula. Currently, Antioch College offers the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Arts, Humanities, Science, and Social Science. I expect many Antioch graduated to go on to local grad schools and become successful in spacecraft design as well as aerospace engineering an technologies.

Among the famous graduates of Antioch are some interesting persons: Rod Serling (Twilight Zone ) and Coretta Scott King, who are known to most of the public. Alumni also include politicians, scientists, writers, Nobel Prize winners, and explorers.